Conducting Focus Groups

Description:

Focus groups are an increasingly popular qualitative research method but it is vital to understand the kind of data they generate so that they are chosen wisely. As a method they require considerable questioning and facilitation skills. This highly interactive course shows how to improve the quality of focus group research by achieving optimum group composition, and ensuring a lively and fully participative discussion.

Topics

• the nature of focus groups and focus group data
• using focus groups appropriately
• discussion guides and focusing exercises
• questioning and moderating skills
• the composition of focus groups
• practicalities of recruiting and running groups - venues, recording, transcription

Objectives

• to give participants a clear understanding of when to use focus groups as a qualitative method
• to illustrate the importance of group composition and its impact on group dynamics
• to describe techniques for involving participants, keeping the discussion on track and ensuring sufficient depth of coverage
• to provide first-hand experience of one of three key roles: facilitator, group member, observer

Course tutor

Liz Spencer is a Sociologist and a Fellow of both the Academy of Social Sciences and the Royal Society of Arts, who has specialised in qualitative methods since 1973. She has held research posts at a number of British universities, including the London School of Economics, The London Graduate School of Business Studies, The University of Kent and the University of Essex, and was a Research Director at the National Centre for Social Research. She teaches a range of short courses for the Social Research Association and for the Universities of Hong Kong, Fribourg, Aberdeen and Essex, and has been a Visiting Professor at the Institute for Higher Studies in Vienna.

Currently Liz is an independent research consultant and partner in Q2 training Complete. Her recent publications include Rethinking Friendship: Hidden Solidarities Today; chapters in Qualitative Research Practice (Ritchie et al, 2013), and a report for the Cabinet Office on judging the quality of qualitative research and evaluation. Together with Jane Ritchie, she pioneered ‘Framework’, a matrix-based approach to data management and display.

Cost:

£260 but SRA members pay £195

Website and registration:

www.the-sra.org.uk/training.

Region:

Scotland

Keywords:

Qualitative Data Handling and Data Analysis, Focus Groups

Related publications and presentations:

Qualitative Data Handling and Data Analysis

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